Interchangeable tooth



Sept. 2, 1924. 1,507,231

E. P. CRESSLER INTERCHANGEABLE TOOTH Filed Jan. so 1924 ERCressZen A iFatented Sept. 2, 192%.

EDWARD r. c'nnssnnn, or nnwron, KANSAS.

INTERCHANGEABLE TO'OTH.

. Application filed January 30, 1924." Serial No. 689,517.

Ev. all'whom it may. concern Be it known that I, EDWARD P. CRnssLnR, a citizen of the United States, of Newton, county of, Harvey, and State of Kansas, have '5 invented anew and useful Improvement in Interchangeable Teeth, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to'artificial teeth and has. reference more particularly to the 'manner'of connecting or interlockingthe tooth facing or body with the backing or retaining member, more particularly for bridge or crown work, to produce an inter- }cha'ngeable tooth.

The aim of the present invention is to produce a form of connection between the tooth facing and the backing plate or' retaining member which will be of extreme simplicity, will hold the parts very firmly and securely together without danger of separation or displacement, and which will admit of a new facing being readily subfistituted for a broken facing; and with these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts to be fully described in the specification to follow, and the novel features of i which will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure l is a side elevation partly in section of a tooth of anterior form having my invention embodied therein in one form.

Fig. 2) is a perspective view of the retaining member or backing plate of the form shown in Fig. 1, the same being separated from the tooth facing.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the invention in modified form.

o Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the backing plate in the form shown in Fig. 3, the

same being removed from the'tooth facing.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly insection showing my invention in still another modified form.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the backing plate of the form shown in Fig. 5, separated from the tooth facing.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. 5, showing still other modifications of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a tooth of" posterior form having my invention embodied therein.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the backing plate of Fig. 9, separated from the tooth facing.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates a tooth facing or body of suitable material, preferably porcelain, in

this instancethe tooth being of anterior form, and 3 designates a retaining member or backing which seats against the rear side of the tooth facing. The retaining member in this form of the invention consists of a plate from the front side of which a projection or pin 4 fixed to the plate extends at an angle or inclination toward the incisal end of the tooth, and seats in a corresponding cavity or hole 5- formed in the rear side of the tooth facing. A hole 6 is formed in the backing plate, spaced from and. in longitudinal alignmentwith the projection 4, and a tube 7 constituting a guiding passage, is fixed to the outer side of the plate and surrounds the holetherein and extends at an angle opposite to .the angle of the projection at; and a second hole 8 is formed in the tooth facing, which hole aligns with the tube 7 and hole 6. The aligning tube 7, the hole in the backing plate 6, and the hole 8 in the tooth facing, are adapted to receive a retaining or fastening pin 9, which is shown as threaded exteriorly to screw into the interiorly threaded tube '7, and thereby be engaged therewith. The fastening pin is provided in its opposite ends with slots 10 and 11 to receive a screw driver, or other tool for screwing the pin into place or unscrewing the same.

In assembling the parts, the plate 3 is brought to position at the rear side of the tooth facing and the pin 4 entered in the hole 5 in the tooth facing, and the plate seated flatly against the facing and the parts cemented together. The tube 7, the hole 6 and the hole 8 will now be in registry with each other, and will extend in a line diverging from the axis of the projection or pin 4:- The fastening pin 9 is now screwed into the tube and into the aligning hole in the tooth facing until'the forward end of the pin encounters the bottom of the hole, and the pin is preferably cemented in place.

The retaining member or plate is by this means fastened to the tooth facing by two pins or projections disposed at relative angles to each other, and in this instance at divergent angles; and they will thus act to effectually prevent the tooth facing from escape or dislodgment from the backing plate. In the event the tooth facing becomes broken, the backing plate can be freed of the fragments and the fastening pin removed, either from the front or back by the application of a suitable tool to the slots 10 and 11,-and a new facing set in place and secured as before.

The construction and arrangement of the parts described are of extreme simplicity, while possessing the maximum effect in se curing the facing firmly and fixedly to the retaining plate without danger of looseness or displacement. The construction involves no pivoted or articulated parts, so difficult to construct and assemble in the minute dimensions dealt with, and the construction enables the facings to be connected with the retaining plate with great ease and facility, and enables the interchange and substitution to be made with convenience and speed.

In 3 and 4 the retaining plate 3 provided on its forward side with a segmen tal centering block 12, which seats in a corresponding cavity formed in the rear side of the toothed facing 1. The block has a pin or projection at fixed-to it and seated in a hole 5* in the tooth facing and inclined similar to the projection 4 of Fig. 1, and in longitudinal alignment with this pin, the

block is formed with a guiding passage 7 and with a guiding tube 7 extending outwardly from the passage, which passage and tube align with a hole 8 in the tooth facing, and a fastening pin 9, in this case unthreaded, is inserted in the aligned tube passage and hole to fasten the parts together.

' The parts are assembled and act-in securing similarly to the facing in position on the backing plate, the corresponding parts of Fig. 1.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the retaining plate 3" is formed withtwo guiding tubes 7 which extend at diverging angles relatively to each other. and the tooth facing 1 is formed with two diverging holes 5 and 8 which align with the two guiding tubes, respectively, and

. two removable fastening pins 9 and 9 are screwed into the tubes and enter the holes in the facing similar to the screw pin of Fig. 1.'

In Fig. 7 the construction is the same as in Fig. 1, except that the projection or pin 4." and the guiding tube'7 for the fastening pin, are parallel to each other, instead of. at different angles, as in the other instances described.

In Fig. 8 the retaining plate is like the retaining'platc of Fig. 5, provided with two guiding tubes 7 and 7 and the tooth fac In this case the tooth facing 1" isv formed in its rear side with a. transverse slot orcavity 5 constituting in effect a hole, and 18 formed also with a second hole 8, which extends at a diverging angle to the cavity or hole 5". The retaining plate 3 is formed with a transverse projection i to seat in the cavity or hole 5 and is formed with a guiding tube 7 which aligns with the hole 8, and

a removable fastening pin 9 is inserted in the tube and seated in the hole S to hold the parts together. I

In all of the One of these ro'ections is in some instances, fixed to the retaining plate and the other is separate or removable therefrom, as in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 9; while inother cases both projections are separate and removable from the retaining plate, as in Figs. 5 and-8; and in allof the differentforms of the indifferent constructions above, described the tooth facing is engaged by ipo vention, except that shown in Fig. 7 the two projections" extend at different relative angles to each other.

The guiding tube which receives the removable fastening pin in the several forms of the invention, subserves a. very important advantage, in that it enables the solder or casting to be built up on the surface of the backing plate, without covering over and sealing the entrance to the tube. As a re salt the mouth of the tube is exposed and open to receive the pin. A further advantage lies in the fact that the tube, by extending outwardly from the plate, serves as an effective guide for the pin in its insertion into place, and insures entry into the hole with accuracy and facility.

It will be understood that as to each form of the invention hereinbefore described, the backs of the different tooth facings are ground to approximately the same angle of inclination and that the holes for the projections and fastening pins are disposed at the same angles and location with respect to.

the rear sides of the facings. Likewise the retaining members are all made on approxiniately the same planes, with the projections of themechanic Without departing from the spirit of the invention; and it will be understood-that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts, except-in so far as such limitations are specified in. the claims.

Having thus described what. I claim is: V 1."In. combination with a tooth facing formed. in its rear side with two holes, a retaining member applied to the tooth facing, a projection onthe retaining member seatedfin one-of the holes, a' uiding'tube projecting. rearwardly from tie retaining my invention,

member and disposed in alignment with the otherhole, and a fastening pin separate from the retaining member and adapted to be inserted in said guiding tube and seated in the aligned hole.

-' i 2. In comb'nation with a tooth facing formed in itsrear side with two holes, a retaining member applied to the'facing and having a hole therethrough, a projection on the retaining member seated on one of the holes in the tooth face, a guiding tube sur- I rounding the hole in the retaining member and projecting rearwardly therefrom and disposed in alignment with the other hole in the tooth facing, and a fastening .pin adapted to be inserted in said tube and seated in the aligned hole in the tooth facing.

3'. In combination with a tooth facin formed in its rear side with two holes, retaining member applied to the tooth facing, aprojection on the retaining member seated in one of the holes, the said retaining member bein ment with'the'other hole, and a fastemn pin screwed into the guiding tube an seated in the aligned hole.

4, In combination with a tooth facing formed in its rear side with two holes diverging from each other towards the front of the facing, a retaining member ap lied to the tooth facing, a projection on sai retaining member seated in one of the holes, and a fastening pin separate from the retaining member and adapted to be engaged with the same and seated in the otherhole.

5. In combination with a toothfacing formed in its rear side with twoholes, and with an intermediate cavity, a retaining member applied to the tooth facing, a projection thereon seated in one of the holes, a centering block in the retaining member seated in the cavity and provided with a guiding passage aligned with the otherv hole, and a fastening pin separate from the retaining'member and adapted to be inserted in the passage in the centering block and seated in the aligned hole.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD P. CRESSLER.

formed with a -rearwardly r projecting guiding tube-disposed in align- 

